Upper Columbia Basin Network Data Management Plan, Version 1.0

Dicus, Gordon; Garrett, Lisa

A central mission of the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program is to provide timely, accurate, and usable scientific information about the status and trends of park resources to park managers. Fulfilling this mission requires an information management system that effectively produces, maintains, and distributes the products of scientific work completed in the parks. This Upper Columbia Basin Network (UCBN) Data Management Plan (DMP) documents an overarching strategy for ensuring that UCBN program data are documented, secure, and remain accessible and useful for decades into the future. In turn, the DMP refers to more specific guidance documents and standard operating procedures which convey the standards and steps necessary for individual monitoring protocols. The UCBN data management mission is to ensure the quality, interpretability, security, longevity, and availability of program natural resource data. The procedures and work practices outlined by this DMP contribute to these four primary data management goals: • Ensure the high quality and long-term availability of the ecological data and related analyses produced from the network’s inventory and monitoring work • Integrate data management activities with all aspects and at all stages of network business • Specify data stewardship responsibilities for all personnel • Work within and outside the network, as appropriate, to improve the quality and availability of legacy NPS datasets and data from outside sources Effective data management practices are essential to achieving I&M Program goals and require adequate personnel time and funding to achieve the best results. While, some data collection procedures and data management practices are already in use and require minimal revisions, others may involve several iterations before deemed acceptable and functional. Some practices specified in the DMP may be new to staff and cooperators. With few exceptions, however, obligations come from law, Executive Orders, Director’s Orders, or national I&M Program guidance. The DMP helps to put these requirements into context and provides operational guidance to achieve them. This data management plan reflects a commitment to establishing and maintaining a robust system for data management to ensure the availability and usability of high-quality natural resource information. This plan supports the objectives of the I&M Program and provides guidance on the following network activities: • acquisition and processing of data, • assurance of data quality, • documentation, analysis, summarization, and dissemination of data and information, • maintenance of UCBN content within national-level data management systems, • and maintenance, storage, and archiving of data products.

Upper Columbia Basin Network Data Management Plan, Version 1.0

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